Seven Ways to Know an IBM Champion

Libby Ingrassia

You may know an IBM Champion if…

The best way to understand the IBM Champions program is to know an IBM Champion. Do you think you know a Champion? Here are 7 questions to ask yourself about your technical community. Do these sound familiar?

Someone freely gives you advice in person, on Twitter, on forums…

You regularly read the blog of someone for help or shared code…

Someone in your organization knows everything there is to know about your IBM software or hardware and makes it all work together and is always the one answering questions…

There is someone whose presentations you enjoy and learn from…

Someone is putting their own time into organizing an event you value…

Someone has positively influenced your choices of what to deploy and when…

There is someone whose contribution you would miss if they were to stop…

If you put a name or a face to those 7 questions, you may know an IBM Champion… or someone who shouldbecomean IBM Champion!

It’s time to pick your person, gather their important details, let them know what you’re planning, and then…nominate!

Nominations are open through 13 November across IBM Analytics, Cloud and Cloud Integration, Collaboration Solutions, Power, and IBM Z. Not sure if you fit in one of those categories? Submit your nomination and tell us where you (or your nominee) has expertise. If you have specific questions, get in touch with me by commenting here,via emailoron Twitter.

What do IBM Champions do?

Once selected, new Champions join the 500-plus developers, technologists, business leaders, CXOs, and educators around the world who have demonstrated both expertise in and extraordinary support and advocacy for IBM technology, communities, and solutions.

Then the Champions maintain their status by continuing their contributions, this time with additional input, help, and opportunities from their closer relationship with IBM. Champions each have their areas of technical expertise and their areas of advocacy and contribution. They speak at conferences. They convene user groups and offer mentorship in the technical community. They teach users to make the absolute best decisions around IBM technology. They provide invaluable user feedback that helps improve IBM’s products.

Through the program, IBM recognizes the ongoing leadership and expertise of these individuals. And rewards them by amplifying their content, by providing them with exclusive access to and previews of IBM product launches, and by increasing their sphere of influence.

What does all that mean on a daily basis?

IBM Champions spend time in various special calls, internal communities, and other channels, such as a Slack where they can communicate regularly with other IBM Champions and with the program team. Through these channels, IBM shares early updates on news and product roadmaps. Then the Champions share feedback with IBM and take what they need to create their own content and educate their communities.

And perhaps most importantly, IBM fosters a two-way relationship with the IBM Champions, which benefits IBM, the Champions, and the technical community.

IBM benefits by listening to the Champions’ experiences on the front-lines of IBM products in use. And by the impact that Champions have when they educate on, advocate for, and nurture in the technical communities they support.

Champions benefit by being recognized for their expertise and by having easy, direct access to the right IBMers. Champions may also receive more concrete benefits. These may include conference discounts, VIP access, digital credentials, logo merchandise, exclusive communities, feedback opportunities, and recognition and amplification via IBM’s social channels.

Finally, the entire technical community benefits as IBMers and IBM Champions come together to create content and increase knowledge.

Raise the Community’s Stars

So take a moment today to raise up the stars in your technical community – or to earn your own star!

What if you could empower your business to deliver competitive, innovative and elastic apps and integrate them with your existing applications, data and processes? What if you could enable your admini...

About Us

The IBM Middleware User Community offers fresh news and content several times a day including featured blogs and forums for discussion and collaboration; access to the latest white papers, webcasts, presentations, and research uniquely for members, by members.